TWENTY-five Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) affiliates yesterday convened an annual general meeting at which they elected former 400 metres world champion Samuel Matete as ZAAA interim president.

But Mr Elias Mpondela has maintained that he was still ZAAA president and described yesterday ‘sAGM as illegal.

Matete was declared winner after the Elias Mpondela-led executive did not show up at the AGM which was convened at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

Matete and others decided to go ahead with the AGM despite the ZAAA executive announcing the postponement of the meeting.

This was after the Lusaka High Court granted Matete and others a court injunction restraining ZAAA executive from barring them from seconding at the December 27, 2014 AGM.

Last week, Matete and four others applied for an interim injunction in the Lusaka High Court to restrain ZAAA secretary general Phil Kubombela from barring them to contest positions of their choice in the AGM.

In their affidavit in support of their action filed in the High Court on Monday, the plaintiffs said if Kubombela was not stopped from barring them to contest positions of their wish so that they can meaningfully contribute to ZAAA’s welfare, their rights would be infringed upon.

Matete, Manda, Chipalo and Chaongopa wanted to challenge the incumbent ZAAA president Elias Mpondela for the top office while Mokola wants to be vice president of the association.

But Mpondela said ZAAA yesterday executive was not aware of the AGM which elected Matete.

“We stand by what we said and there was no AGM as far as we are concerned,” he said.

Mpondela said the association was the convener of the AGM and did not convene any as mandated in their constitution.

“We are the only ones who can convene an AGM. We must respect the law and avoid being desperate,” he said. Mpondela accused Matete of being desperate for leadership adding that as far as he was concerned he was still president.

“As far as I am concerned my executive is still in office and we stand by what we said,” he said.

Mpondela said he did not attend the purported AGM because he was still consulting his lawyers.

He said before his executive decided to cancel the AGM, the association consulted the National Sports Council of Zambia and informed the International Athletics Association Federation which is the mother body of all athletes.